Happy Sunday Friends!
We are officially in the final month of school which means I have summer on the brain! This past week, I ended up joining a local country club just to have access to their adult pool with a swim up bar and I do not regret it one bit! After last summer playing it super safe and following all of the COVID guidelines, now that I am vaccinated, I am so excited to live it up this summer (well…within reason of course, a pandemic is still going on). Anywho though, I’m sure we are all looking forward to a fun summer ahead and with that of course comes cookouts and BBQs. Today I am sharing a few super easy and absolutely delicious recipes to make for any summer get togethers you may have!
EASY CROCKPOT RIBS
The first time I made ribs a few years ago, whenever I told people I made them in my crockpot, they were always shocked! It’s definitely not the most conventional way to cook them, but let me tell you not only are they SUPER easy, but they are insanely good and will make your entire home smell amazing!
INGREDIENTS
-Rack of Pork Ribs
-2 to 3 cups of your preferred BBQ sauce (I just buy Kroger Brand and do half and half of their Smokey BBQ Sauce and their Sweet Honey)
-3 tablespoons of brown sugar
-2 tablespoons of chili powder
-2 tablespoons of paprika
-2 tablespoons of garlic powder
-1 tablespoon of onion powder
-1/2 tablespoon of thyme
-1/2 tablespoon of oregano
-1 teaspoon of salt
-1 teaspoon of pepper
-Crockpot Liner
- Place your ribs in a crockpot liner and cover with dry rub seasonings. Place in refrigerator overnight for maximum flavor.
- 4 hours before serving, place ribs in crockpot (you may need to cut for it to fit) and pour BBQ sauce on.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or until fully cooked.
- Serve with additional sauce on the side and enjoy!
OVERNIGHT MAC AND CHEESE
One of my favorite side dishes EVER is a good mac and cheese. Last summer, I discovered Ina Garten’s overnight mac and cheese and while it was good (okay it was AMAZING) I wanted to make it my own so I revamped it a bit. In my opinion, it was even better, but obviously I am bias! Nonetheless, it was a huge hit when I served it the other night and lucky for me, I had leftovers!
INGREDIENTS
-16 oz of Elbow Macaroni or preferred pasta
-2 cups of heavy cream
-1 cup of shredded Mild Cheddar
-1 cup of shredded Gruyere
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp paprika
-1 tsp crushed red pepper
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tablespoon yellow mustard
-1/2 cup melted butter
-1 cup bread crumbs
- In a pot, boil your noodles until just fully cooked and drain
- In a medium bowl, while pasta cools, combine cream, cheese, mustard, and seasonings
- Add slightly cooled noodles to cream mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- In a 9×9 pan, transfer noodle mixture
- In a small bowl combine melted butter and bread crumbs.
- Cover top of noodles with bread mixture then bake for 30-45 minutes or until top is browned and inside is melty.
- Let cool slightly and serve!
BACON BBQ GREEN BEANS
As I was prepping the menu for this meal, I had lots of yummy food, but I realized not a single vegetable. Now, I am by NO means a health nut, but I felt there should be some presence of a vegetable on the table, even if was doctored up. That’s where Bacon BBQ Green Beans came in! Perhaps not the most healthy, but hey at least a veggie was there!
INGREDIENTS
-1 lb of fresh green beans
-5 slices of bacon, diced
1 cup of preferred BBQ Sauce
-1/2 cup of dice yellow onions
- In a medium pot, cook diced bacon and onions until cooked through.
- Take off heat and add green beans and BBQ sauce
- Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
- Plate and serve!
Hush Puppies
INGREDIENTS
-3/4 cups of flour
-3/4 cups of cornmeal
-2 tsp of sugar
-1.5 tsp of Baking Powder
-2 tsp of salt
-1/2 tsp Garlic Pwder
-1/2 Onion Powder
-1/2 paprika
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 corn
-1 jalapeno diced
-1 large egg
-1 cup of buttermilk
-4 tablespoons cubed Butter
-Canola Oil for frying
- Combine all ingredients until a very thick batter, almost dough like, has formed
- Form into small balls and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes
- In a deep skillet, heat up at least 2 inches of oil
- Once hot, add hush puppies and cook until golden brown on all sides
- Place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve and enjoy!
Everyday with K 